This is the obvious stress setting in with the CBC labor groups because of the probability of cuts to their “gravy train.”  These elites need to get it straight that cuts are coming and I would not shed a tear to see them privatized and/or relegated to the scrap heap altogether.  Everyone is accountable to someone and in this case the taxpayer because you are not above the law.
Threats by the unions will only work for a short time then the house of cards will come crashing to the ground.  You can just feel it coming, so brace yourselves.
I for one, welcome the downfall.

Will CBC apologize and retract ASAP, will the ‘source’ of these rumours be tracked down and fired  !!!

Sadly, we tax payers are the ones walking the tight rope when it comes to CBC. WE say ‘sue them’, ‘get rid of them’…….but WE are the ones that will pay for every lawsuit and every packaged employee.

This story has gotten so old. They have absolutely no reason to exist any longer and it’s time to pull the plug.
I for one would suck up the oxygen when the air was fresher!

IMO, politicians’ homes & their families should be out of bounds. NO media — be it journalists or so-called comedians who think they have THE solutions to society’s problems — have a right to invoke “the public’s right to know” mantra when intruding upon politicians’ private lives. “Lighten up” is no substitute for an apology, although that apology, if extracted under pressure, is worthless.
 
Would Mary Walsh and others of her ilk welcome some would-be paparazzi invading her privacy, her driveway, accosting her as she’s going to an appointment or some other place? Would any journalist? I doubt it.

That being said, I disagree with those who are calling for the CBC to be shut down. That is inconsistent with what most conservatives, particularly those of a libertarian bent,  hold to be a basic principle: freedom of expression. Demanding accountability (i.e. te CBC complying with ATI requests), demanding accuracy in their reports, and making sure taxpayers’ money is not frittered away in generous expense accounts is one thing. Even changing the method of funding the CBC, based on the PBS model, is a reasonable argument. But shutting down the CBC because some object to their POV or their treatment of conservative politicians is inconsistent with what many conservative bloggers and commenters champion: untrammelled freedom of expression, including expression of a POV one disagrees with.

To this point, and without an apology for their outrageous stunt, we have to assume the CBC is  placing the blame on phantom sources in what has now been proven to be false allegations against Mayor Ford.

The whole affair is scandalous and the fact it’s being tolerated by the powers that be by inaction makes matters worse.

I agree with Gabby, an apology wouldn’t be sincere but at least it would be humbling and address the fact they were horribly out of line.

In this time of attrition the government has a reason to cut funding, but to this point they’re still toadying to the CBC.   James Moore, where are you?

To this point, and without an apology for their outrageous stunt, we have to assume the CBC is  placing the blame on phantom sources in what has now been proven to be false allegations against Mayor Ford.

The whole affair is scandalous and the fact it’s being tolerated by the powers that be by inaction makes matters worse.

I agree with Gabby, an apology wouldn’t be sincere but at least it would be humbling and address the fact they were horribly out of line.

In this time of attrition the government has a reason to cut funding, but to this point they’re still toadying to the CBC.   James Moore, where are you?

No, we are not calling for the CBC to be “shut down” — only to operate without dependency on the massive taxpayer funding. If they can survive without that, then more power to them. I do not want one more dime of my taxes supporting that liberal biased corrupt broadcaster that has the gall to think they don’t need to open their books to the people who fund them.

The Biases of the CBC
November 13th, 2011, 2 PM
Library & Archives Canada
395 Wellington
Admission $15 ($10 for students)

Please join us for our first self-produced documentary which examines
whether the CBC is biased against Israel and biased against
conservatives. After the film, we will have a panel discussion with Mike
Fegelman of HonestReporting Canada, Stephen Taylor of the NCC, Brian
Lilley of Sun News, Eric Duhaime from the Le Journal de Montreal, and
David Krayden from the Canadian Centre for Policy Studies.

This event is part of the 2nd Annual Free Thinking Film Festival which runs between November 11-13th, 2011.

For more information, please visit http://www.freethinkingfilmfest.ca

Admission to this event is just $15! Or you can buy a festival pass for $75 and see all the events in the Festival.

This event is co-sponsored by Le Réseau Liberté-Québec.

“No, we are not calling for the CBC to be “shut down” …”
Sorry, but that “we” does not include ALL conservative bloggers and commenters. I haven’t read all the conservative blogs and all the comments regarding the CBC, but there are periodically calls for it to be shut down, so yes, there are indeed SOME conservatives who want the CBC to be shut down. 

Look, as I said in my previous comment, asking the CBC to be transparent, accountable, accurate, and unbiased are all very legitimate demands, especially since they (their reporters & pundits) often say that’s what Canadians want, yet they themselves often fail in providing those very things.

However, calling for the CBC to be shut down — as SOME conservatives have done, but maybe not you — is inconsistent with what some of those same conservatives champion: freedom of expression.

It’s not just the CBC …
Read these tweets from some of the twits who pass themselves off as journalists.
http://www.ipolitics.ca/2011/10/27/im-rob-fing-ford-or-maybe-not/
Merely an excuse for them to “quote” the f-word in all its glory.

And here’s an op-ed on the CBC:
http://www.ipolitics.ca/2011/10/31/saving-the-cbc/
“… It is foolish and perverse for CBC executives to think that they can take a billion dollars in public money and then refuse to tell Canadians how it’s spent – especially since the Corporation is now covered under the access to information law. Every day they fight this feckless battle in court is another day they resemble the information-suppressors they so often pursue and pillory on the public’s behalf. When you’re in the information business, going to court to keep your corporate secrets looks a lot like hypocrisy. …” 
Michael Harris makes a good point, despite the fact he doesn’t differentiate between the CBC guarding its budget-spending secrets and the government withholding information related to national security. 

Stephen Taylor Got It Wrong, folks.

If the CBC received credible reports of what was said in that 911 call, and ran with it, then they have merely reported on it, they didn’t get anything “wrong”. The choice to run with that story is of course a bit tacky, I won’t dispute that.

Ford himself admits dropping the F-bomb while on one of the  three 911 calls.  Note that although Chief Blair claims that the word “b!tches” and the reported self-description were not said by the mayor, we have neither a recording or a transcript to confirm for ourselves. Can you say whitewash?

What we do know – a strong man in his 40s who coaches football was confronted in his driveway by a well-known female Canadian comedian, mid 50s, IN COSTUME, WITH A MIC,  from a popular Canadian TV political satire show, that is WELL-KNOWN by politicians for their surprise interviews… and not only could this politician not handle the situation verbally, with either humour or tact, he felt it necessary to retreat inside and call 911 THREE times.

Ladies and gentlemen, the mayor of Canada’s largest city. Wow.

Have fun at the Free Right-Thinking Film Festival.

Stephen Taylor Got It Wrong, folks.

If the CBC received credible reports of what was said in that 911 call, and ran with it, then they have merely reported on it, they didn’t get anything “wrong”. The choice to run with that story is of course a bit tacky, I won’t dispute that.

Ford himself admits dropping the F-bomb while on one of the  three 911 calls.  Note that although Chief Blair claims that the word “b!tches” and the reported self-description were not said by the mayor, we have neither a recording or a transcript to confirm for ourselves. Can you say whitewash?

What we do know – a strong man in his 40s who coaches football was confronted in his driveway by a well-known female Canadian comedian, mid 50s, IN COSTUME, WITH A MIC,  from a popular Canadian TV political satire show, that is WELL-KNOWN by politicians for their surprise interviews… and not only could this politician not handle the situation verbally, with either humour or tact, he felt it necessary to retreat inside and call 911 THREE times.

Ladies and gentlemen, the mayor of Canada’s largest city. Wow.

Have fun at the Free Right-Thinking Film Festival.

what has now been proven to be false allegations against Mayor Ford.

The allegations have NOT been proven false,  we have only heard  Chief Blair try to help soft-soap this away. Only a transcript or recording will prove the point. Officials have had no problem releasing transcripts of 911 calls under all sorts of conditions, dire or otherwise. It should be obvious even to you that the THREE recordings would not be flattering to the mayor.

A middle-aged female comedian on his driveway, and he has to call 911 THREE times. There’s a man for our times. wow.

what has now been proven to be false allegations against Mayor Ford.

The allegations have NOT been proven false,  we have only heard  Chief Blair try to help soft-soap this away. Only a transcript or recording will prove the point. Officials have had no problem releasing transcripts of 911 calls under all sorts of conditions, dire or otherwise. It should be obvious even to you that the THREE recordings would not be flattering to the mayor.

A middle-aged female comedian on his driveway, and he has to call 911 THREE times. There’s a man for our times. wow.

Are you saying Chief Blair is lying?

I’m saying Chief Blair has not proven anything. If he says the B word wasn’t used, I’m willing to believe him. I can think of many reasons why the 911 operator wouldn’t want to make a report of abuse, but if he says one wasn’t made, then I believe that too.

Otherwise, he has done nothing to dispel the implication that Ford made 3 calls to 911 and was agitated. All because of a comedian on his driveway. Is that 911-worthy to you?

And here’s an op-ed on the CBC:
http://www.ipolitics.ca/2011/10/31/saving-the-cbc/

Does anyone really believe that Quebecor’s onslaught is designed to
demonstrate Sun Media’s commitment to public interest journalism?
Quebecor’s heart continues to be its wallet. What it wants is CBC ads in
its newspapers, a few more government bucks, and ultimately the
Corporation’s head on a pike. Greater accountability for the public
finances is merely the fig leaf that covers those intentions.

He’s totally got (Quebecor grand fromage) Pierre-Karl Peladeau’s number.

And I don’t disagree with his main point that CBC TV should not be in the private market as much as it is. The problem is, though, that major-market presence and ad revenue is currently necessary, because the federal government will not adequately fund them to do the things that they do do better than the private sector (radio for people who think, documentaries, in-depth journalism, Canadian live event coverage, live music). Kind of a catch-22 there.

“Quebecor’s heart continues to be its wallet.”
Horrors! How dare P-K Peladeau want to make a profit! Why, his company should become a non-profit outfit doling out whatever revenue it earns to all comers.

“… the federal government will not adequately fund them to do the things that they do do better than the private sector (radio for people who think, documentaries, in-depth journalism, Canadian live event coverage, live music …”
Maybe if they did all those things from a pan-Canadian perspective, rather than catering to Canadians on one side of the political spectrum. We conservatives live here, work here, pay our taxes here,  and at times form the government here. It’s time the CBC stop being the mouthpiece of one side of the political spectrum.

P.S.: Since you derived some enjoyment from the link I provided, here’s another one for your enjoyment:
http://www.torontosun.com/2011/11/01/moore-to-cbc-spill 

So you’re perfectly OK with Quebecor launching FOI attacks on the CBC and this whole accountability farce, in order to make a profit? This is your idea of good broadcasting?

Maybe if they did all those things from a pan-Canadian perspective,
rather than catering to Canadians on one side of the political spectrum.
We conservatives live here, work here, pay our taxes here,  and at
times form the government here. It’s time the CBC stop being the
mouthpiece of one side of the political spectrum.

What’s lacking? Not enough coverage of  Intelligent Design? The wonders of coal burning? Welfare cheat of the week? Lawrence Welk? Your perception of where the CBC stands has more to do with where you stand.  If you’re to the right, then anything truly balanced is going to seem lefty.

The SUN is … one lousy newspaper. Forgive me if I don’t follow the link.

You’ve proven what a truly closed mind you have — in both replies.

The CBC has filed no news reports of their own  grilling before a parliamentary committee… plenty of reports filed on other committees grilling people, just not when they’re under the microscope. 

Doesn’t matter what position any of us hold — that the CBC should or should’t have it’s books opened to scrutiny. The committee’s happenings themselves IS a news story, so why isn’t the CBC filing reports? Why not a topic on P&P? 

And I love the irony inherent irony in the CBC’s defence.. denying it has a culture of secrecy yet, paradoxically, not reporting on the committee investigating it on that very issue. They’re not doing a great job of refuting that very criticism made against them but in fact reinforcing it as truth.

And BTW, since Lindsey Duncombe is filing reports on the trial of Jackson’s doctor, what is Keither Boag been up to? Why does CBC need 2 reporters based in LA? I’d like to know what Keith’s job is, other than being based in LA and doing nothing apparently… and I’d like to know how much we’re paying him for doing that.

Why the hell do we have two “reporters” on our payroll living in LA when we can get the news on stuff like the trial of Jackson’s doctor from countless US channels and  the internet as well?

I’m guessing it’s a case of out of sight out of mind for Boagsie Poo, don’t think he was helping their ratings. 

This is part of a David Akin blog post:
http://davidakin.blogware.com/blog/_archives/2011/10/26/4926643.html 
“… And I should point out here, because it often comes up, that the media accompanying Harper on RCAF 01 are paying their way. The bill for airfare, hotels in Perth, and so on comes to several thousand dollars for each reporter, cameraperson and technician on board. Some of the major news organizations in the Parliamentary Press Gallery such as The Globe and Mail and The Toronto Star have opted not to pay that fee and are not present for this trip to CHOGM in Perth. The news organizations that have ponied up to dispatch a reporter on this 30-hour ride out to Perth and 30-hour ride back include Sun Media (that’s me), Postmedia, Canadian Press, CBC English television, CBC English Radio, CBC French television, CTV, and Global Television. That’s it. No Maclean’s. No Rabble.ca. No Le Devoir. …”

Notice that CBC sent & paid for CBC TV, CBC radio, and CBC French TV. I can understand one Eng. & one French reporter, although someone like Rad-Can’s Emmanuelle Latraverse is equally comfortable in both official languages and she manages to ask pointed questions in a polite manner,  unlike  Terry Milewski’s often rude and abrasive style.

Were the CBC camera crew & technicians shared with their French counterpart or did they also double up on that?

Hmmm, you might be onto something. Now that our foreign policy comes direct  from the US, maybe all our foreign news should too.

… I’ve proven that I have an opinion. I guess only those on the right are allowed to have those.

You’ve proven the way you usually express that opinion is by using sneering condescension in place of the lack of facts and supporting documentation.

I condescend when you lot make damning pronouncements with zero facts, as you just did. If you’re not seeing facts in my posts, you’re not looking. The continued evasions of the points I raise are proof enough of this.

As one of the few here who generally expresses well-thought-out points, it’s disappointing to see you descend to braying ad-hominems now.